Profile America Facts for Features -- Earth Day: April 22, 2014

April 22, 2014, marks the 44th anniversary of Earth Day ― a day intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment.

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Nebraska City News-Press - Nebraska City, NE

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Posted Apr. 15, 2014 at 9:16 AM

Posted Apr. 15, 2014 at 9:16 AM

April 22, 2014, marks the 44th anniversary of Earth Day ― a day intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment. The day came from reaction to a massive oil spill in waters near Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1969. In honor of Earth Day ― and Earth Week (April 16-22) ― this edition of Profile America Facts for Features includes examples of Census Bureau statistics pertaining to energy and the environment.

Heating and Cooling the Home

2.4 million

Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by wood in 2012, which is 2.1 percent of all homes.

42,747

Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country totally heated by solar energy in 2012.

57.0 million

Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by utility gas in 2012, which is 49.4 percent of all homes.

Estimated average time for workers age 16 and older across the country spent getting to work in 2012, up from 25.5 minutes in 2011 and 25.3 minutes in 2010.

31.9 and 31.8 minutes

Estimated average time for workers age 16 and older in Maryland and New York spent getting to work in 2012, the longest commute time in the nation. (The two times are not statistically different.) Maryland’s time is down from 32.2 minutes in 2011.

16.7 and 17.4 minutes

Estimated average time workers age 16 and older in South Dakota and North Dakota spent getting to work in 2012, the shortest one-way commute times in the nation. (The two times are not statistically different.)

864,883

Estimated number of people who rode a bicycle to work in 2012. This comes out to about 0.6 percent of the American workforce.

3,969,058

Estimated number of people who walked to work in 2012. This comes out to about 2.8 percent of the American workforce.

Estimated revenue for “waste collection – hazardous waste management collection services” in 2012 for estimated sources of revenue for U.S. employer firms. This was down 13.1 percent from 2011.

$5.7 billion

Estimated revenue for “waste treatment and disposal – hazardous waste treatment and disposal services” in 2012 for estimated sources of revenue for U.S. employer firms. This was down 5.1 percent from 2011.

$8.2 billion

Estimated revenue for “local, fixed-route passenger transportation, by road and transit rail” in 2012 for estimated sources of revenue for employer firms. This is up 8.7 percent from 2011.